


...One More For the Road

by lady_meatball



Series: A December to Remember [4]
Category: American (US) Actor RPF, Chris Evans (Actor) RPF
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Domestic Evans, DomesticEvans, F/M, K C & the Sunshine Band, K&C
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-13
Updated: 2017-05-13
Packaged: 2018-10-31 04:41:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10891905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lady_meatball/pseuds/lady_meatball
Summary: As the clock counts down the final hours of Chris’ surprise trip to Las Vegas,  building tension leads to a disagreement; Chris and Katie have a heart to heart, and face their most difficult goodbye yet as he flies out to join his family in Orlando for their annual trip to Disney, kicking off the countdown to their New Year’s Eve elopement.





	...One More For the Road

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings- Angsty, emotions abound. Best to have tissues handy.
> 
> THIS IS ACTUALLY PART 5, PLEASE READ 'HIS & HERS' BEFORE READING THIS.

 

[Originally posted by jbetcom](https://tmblr.co/Zmoy5q1bpVaql)

“ _Jesus…_ ” Chris laughed, “ ** _How_** am I supposed to get **_all_** this packed into my backpack, Kay?”

I stood behind him, my chin resting on Chris’ shoulder as I looked past him into the closet at the stack of wrapped Christmas presents for his mom, siblings and the kids.

“Why did you buy them so much? You didn’t need to go that crazy!” 

In my defense, it wasn’t _that_ much…one smallish present a piece for the adults and a couple of gifts a piece for the kids…but certainly more than would fit in his only piece of luggage, his trusty backpack.

“Because I love buying presents for people…I don’t know if you’ve noticed or not…but I give _really good_ presents.” I chuckled, squeezing his waist.

“They’re okay…” He teased right back, patting my ass gently. I grinned, slipping a hand lower, grabbing his dick; Chris jumped slightly at my firm and persuading grip, laughing. “I meant they’re amazing…please be gentle with me…I’m kind of attached to that, babe…”

Giggling, I pressed into his back, planting a kiss to the space of skin just below his ear as I let go of my hold on him.

“ _ **That’s**_ more like it…” I hummed, “I told you, I was supposed to take these to the Post Office yesterday, so I’ll go do that and stop by the store, what are you gonna want for dinner?”

“You’re gonna leave me here, _aren’t you_?” He asked, unimpressed and pouting as he scanned the assortment of presents.

“Do you **want** to be spotted in line at the post office here in Vegas when people think you’re in Florida?”

“We went out last night, I’m _sure_ I got spotted…”

“Chris…just relax.” I sighed, “I won’t be gone long…”

“You’re talking about the post office, nine days before Christmas…”

“There’s a Mailboxes Etc. right up the street, it’s just past the grocery store. I’ll be quick.” I promised again, but he didn’t like the idea of being left alone in my apartment for at least an hour, and I wasn’t backing down from running this errand solo, “The sooner you let me go get this done, the sooner I get back and get dinner started…what do you want to eat tonight?”

He mumbled and grumbled, a little black rain cloud settling over his head as he realized I wouldn’t agree to him joining me, and he stepped out of my arms to begin gathering up the presents.

“I don’t care… _surprise me_.” He said rather passive aggressively, a hint of sarcasm tinging his voice as he headed out of the closet, through the bedroom and towards the front door, calling back over his shoulder, “Am I _allowed_ to bring these down to your car, or is that _too much of a risk_ , Kay?”

“What’s got your wand in a knot there, Mr. Evans?” I asked, getting slightly irritated with his attitude and how suddenly he went from blissfully happy opening presents just a little while earlier to this, sarcastic and douchey with a touch of sneering adding flavor to his expression. “What’s the matter, _why_ are you acting like this, Chris?”

He stopped at the front door, looking at me expectantly, eyebrows lifted high while he flicked his eyes from me to the key rack and back, asking, “Can you just grab the keys and unlock your car for me?”

“ **No…** ” I told him, planting myself at the end of the counter, crossing my arms under my chest and staring right back at him, “I want to know what’s going on…less than an hour ago, you were falling over laughing, and having a great time, and now…well, now, quite frankly, you’re acting like a **dick**. _What happened_? Are you mad at me about something?”

“ _Just come get the door for me, babe…_ ”

“ _ **No**_. _Talk to me_ …what’s going on?”

“ _Nothing…_ ”

“It’s **not** ‘ _nothing_ ’ when you do a **complete** personality 180 in the blink of an eye, Chris…” I pointed out, my own frustrations growing more and more apparent with each passing second.

“ _Just come open the **fahking** door for me, and unlock your **gadhdamn** car, Katie…you wanted to go get this shit done, so **go do it** …_” Chris snapped, confirming something was wrong despite telling me everything was fine, but as soon as his outburst had started, it was over thanks to his ears catching the words that had just come out his mouth; he pressed his lips into a tight, thin line, inhaling deeply. “ _Just_ …go do what you gotta do. Will you open the door for me, now?”

The sharp words had caught me off guard, and I stood a little stunned for the span of three heartbeats, but I blinked myself out of my stupor and grabbed my keys along with my purse. Walking towards him, I stopped at the door, taking the presents from his arms once I opened it and held the gap with my foot.

I didn’t say a word, turning to slip out the door.

“ _Kay…_ ” Chris exhaled in a frustrated sigh, “ ** _Babe…_** ”

“ **Don’t.** ” I told him, taking the steps down to the ground level, careful of each step. “I don’t what the fuck is wrong with you right now, but until you adjust your attitude, I don’t want to hear another word.” I was halfway to the bottom of the staircase, adjusting the t-shirt box containing Scott’s present-a t-shirt stating, “ _‘Cause I’m a Lady, that’s why!_ ”, since it balanced all the others stacked on top of it. “I’ll be back, and I hope you’ve snapped yourself out of whatever’s going on right now, because **I DO NOT** appreciate you taking it out on me when I don’t know what in the Hell is happening…” I called back over my shoulder just as I stepped onto the cement and made for my car, clicking the fob to unlock the trunk.

* * *

Chris stood on the small front porch, watching Katie storm off in the grey afternoon to the shelter the car port gave, stowing away the packages in the trunk and rounding back up to climb behind the wheel; backing out of her spot, he watched her put the car in drive and leave. Leaning on the rough stucco of the low wall of the small porch, he sucked his teeth as he thought about what had him so angry as he reached to the little table in the corner, seeking out a cigarette.

He hadn’t meant to express himself the way he did, but the brief conversation over text message with his friends on the Patriots earlier had soured his mood…no, **Jules** had soured his mood with his ‘ _What, no Ugly Christmas sweater with me on it? We all know she looks good wearing my last name…_ ’ text.  

There was no denying that Chris was, in general terms, confident and secure in his relationship with Katie, but whenever Edelman came around, Chris got anxious, cagey and went on high alert, especially after the way the night had panned out when he introduced his friend to his girlfriend…Gronk had pointed out that Jules had been genuinely interested in Katie, and in the last month, Julian had used every available opportunity to ask after her, which only set his temper higher and higher until this afternoon, when it became too much and brought forth less than stellar results.

“ _Way to fahking go, dipshit…_ ” He muttered, scratching his forehead with the end of his left thumb, his cigarette all but gone except for the last draw before lowering his hand to stamp out the butt.

“ _Uggggggghhhhhhh…_ ” Chris groaned in frustration while pushing his hands through his hair before turning on his heel and stomping back into the apartment, the door slamming behind him.

* * *

“Excuse me…HOW much?” I asked, shaking my head to hopefully hear the woman behind the counter better.

“That’s three shipping boxes, packing material, postage to Massachusetts, insurance…and priority service for guaranteed delivery before Christmas…it totals up to $210.79.” Betsy the Postal Clerk explained, breaking it all down. 

The line behind me was growing more and more restless, so I blew out a heavy sigh and handed over my debit card, reaching for the pen to fill out the paperwork as I got rung up.

[Originally posted by alxbngala](https://tmblr.co/ZtYCMy1qs_awG)

It was thirty-five minutes spent taking care of shipping out Chris’ family’s presents before I could swing by the grocery store on my way back to the apartment to face him in the black mood that had settled over him when I stormed out. I wasn’t looking forward to the eventual confrontation I knew to expect, to say the least.

I had walked into the store not really having any clue as to what to make for dinner, but with it being mid afternoon, and the weather as gloomy as it was, I knew dinner would be something along the lines of comfort food, so I did what I was best as, I listened to my stomach…

It didn’t take long to gather up what I needed, and soon I found myself at the cash register; waiting my turn, I picked up a magazine to thumb through, absentmindedly. It wasn’t until I had to double take, turning back a few pages to get a better look at the picture of me in yoga leggings, Ugg boots, an oversized and faded Disneyland sweatshirt with my hair falling out of a bun threw the back of my beat up Captain America ball cap walking out of Walmart from earlier in the week carrying bags of goodies that ended up in the boxes I had just shipped out to Boston attached to a picture of Chris and Josh walking around Disneyland, the same day I flew back from my quick trip to L.A. The caption read-

**Dec. 10th-Anahiem/ Dec. 12th-Las Vegas**

**Looks like alleged lovebirds Chris Evans and his makeup artist gal pal, Katie Amerio, won’t be spending the holidays together, but that won’t stop her from some wishful thinking it seems. Evans, 35, took long-time friend and assistant to Disneyland for a day of park hopping and roller coasters; two days later in Las Vegas, Amerio, 28, was spotted out Christmas shopping in gear that can only make you wonder if she hadn’t be invited along…last month she was spotted along side him back in his hometown for Thanksgiving, even showing up at his niece and nephew’s school. Is it over already?**

Snorting in outrage, I slammed the magazine closed, stuffing it hastily back into the allotted slot, blowing out an angry breath as I crossed my arms; the belt freed up and I became unloading my groceries onto the length as the person ahead of me got on with wrapping up their purchase.

[Originally posted by dope-gif](https://tmblr.co/ZcBbWn27LYmeb)

* * *

Chris was slumped on the couch, leg spread wide in his sweatpants while staring blankly at the television; he had settled on Christmas Vacation, playing on FX, and sipped from a bottle of Sam Adams Winter Lager, _waiting_ …the unmistakable sound of feet on the staircase outside told him Katie was back, and the sound of her key pushing into the lock had him looking expectantly at the front door.

[Originally posted by ohevansmycaptain](https://tmblr.co/ZzVdmj2JRoT3w)

“ _Hey Babe…”_ He called, setting the bottle on a coaster and pushing off the cushion, “Let me help you with that…”

Katie stepped into the apartment, pausing to level a skeptical glance in his direction as she pried the key loose.

“Are you in a better mood, now?” She inquired, rather hesitantly with one brow lifting her forehead.

“I’m sorry…” Chris apologized, feeling guilty for his earlier actions; lifting his eyes to meet Katie’s, he extended his hand to take the bags from her, adding, “I’ve just had a lot of my mind, I shouldn’t have vented on you like that, babe…”

“No, you shouldn’t have…are you gonna tell me what’s bothering you? You gotta talk to me, remember?”

“ _Edelman._ ” He said ominously, and her forehead lifted high, and Chris saw the puzzle piece click into place in her mind.

“ _Ahhhh…_ ” She sounded, her mouth pressing into a thin frown as she nodded before handing over the groceries in her right hand; Chris took the three bags, motioning her to pass further into the room once she closed and locked the door behind her. Katie walked past, rounding the corner with her purse and keys clutched in her right hand along with the mail from her box at the office building at the front of the complex. Setting all the items on the little kitchen table, she stood, holding the back of a chair to look him dead on, she asked, “What’s going on between you and Jules, Chris? I mean apart from what happened that night? You guys are friends…”

“Babe…he’s interested in you.” Chris explained, coming to stop next to her to begin unloading the bags of food. “Like, _**‘interested’**_ …”

Katie’s hand touched his bicep, partially covered in the t-shirt he wore but after giving his muscle a squeeze to get his attention, her hand moved the material away to caress his bare skin.

“I kind of already knew that…” She said with an apologetic smirk.

Chris could see her guilt through his peripheral vision, his head having never fully turned away from the table and the task at hand; he stood frozen, holding two bags of thawing cut spinach in his hands.

“In the last month, whenever I talk to him, he never fails to bring you up, to ask about you, what you’re doing…” Chris explained, voice quiet as he went on with the gentle petting of her thumb over his arm telling him to continue, “I’m _not_ a jealous man, Kay…I don’t mind Anthony, Jeremy, Seb…hell, even Hemsworth flirting with you, because I _know_ they won’t cross the line of the ‘Bro Code’, plus they all adore you, but there’s just something about the way Jules looks at you…it makes **_me_** uncomfortable, babe…sets my teeth on edge and the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.”

“ _Chris…_ ” Katie breathed, but he set the bags of frozen vegetables onto the table and peeked over to her, barely turning his head to bring her into better focus and to show her the self-conscious worry and anxiety he felt in regards to this situation.

“I only _just_ found you, after looking for you my _whole life_ , Kay…I don’t want to _lose_ you.” He whispered, hearing his voice crack slightly at the end. Katie pulled her hand from his bicep, frowning in concern up at him as she pushed both hands around his waist, stepping into his body and burying her face into the side of his neck; instantly, Chris folded in around her, holding her tight and resting his cheek on the top of her messy and windswept hair, adding, “I don’t trust that handsome bastard to _not_ steal you out from right under me…he’s got too much in common with you, and I know you’re attracted to him…”

“What did I tell you that next night, Chris?After we made the marker…” Katie asked, squeezing his waist as she pressed her whole body closer, voice muffled in his neck, “He’s **NOT** _you_ …yes, Jules _is_ handsome, yes he’s _built_ , yes, he’s _funny_ in his own way…but he tries _too hard_. With _you_ , it _effortless_. We can look at each other and know **EXACTLY** what the other is thinking, what inflection we’re thinking it in, and _**never**_ have to give it second thought.”

“Doesn’t mean he’ll respect my claim…” Chris grumbled, closing his eyes.

“You are **not** a prospector, you don’t have a ‘ _claim_ ’!” Katie laughed, leaning back to shoot him a lopsided grin, “ _You_ proposed, and _I_ said ‘Yes’. I told you, you aren’t getting rid of me _THAT_ easily…do you remember what I told you the night we met?”

His brows knitting together, Chris thought for a moment before saying, “I remember you saying something about wanting a monsta’ cahk…and not being a witch…“

Katie shook her head from side to side, a grin spreading over her face as she chuckled.

“No…not _that_ …”

“Well, in my defense, you **DID** say a whole hell of _a lot_ of shit that night, and I was so keyed up, certain details are a little hazy, Kay…” He smiled, feeling the choke of fear and anxiety loosening its hold on him as only she could facilitate by just being her.

“Outside Anna’s house, _after_ I backed you up against my car and kissed you…”

“ _Ahhh…_ ” Chris grinned, the memory flashing in his mind and taking effect on his dick immediately; wrapping his arms a smidge tighter around Katie’s back, Chris pressed his groin into her, saying, “You mean when you _groped_ me…”

“Well, you seemed to have absolutely _no problem_ with grinding him against me _all night_ …” She laughed, countering his teasing with her own quip.

“You didn’t tell me ‘no’, I figured a ‘preview’ was in order… _ya know_ …of what you had to look forward to…” Chris added, smirking with his eyebrow wagging in a devilish flirt; leaning in the few scant inches between their faces, Chris wanted to kiss her, so he went for it, licking at the seam of her smiling lips and like a magic word, they parted, permitting him entrance for a deep kiss. 

[Originally posted by hongcha8129](https://tmblr.co/ZIKtBs1TmJo3t)

Pulling back, he rubbed his own lips together before whispering, _“I wanted to fahk you that night_ …I **WOULD** have fahked you against Anna’s garage wall if he hadn’t been interrupted. I wanted you from the moment I saw you in that kitchen…” He inhaled deeply, feeling a smile spread over his face, adding, “-and pretty soon, you’re gonna be my _wife_ …”

“And you’re gonna be my _husband_ , Big Guy…” Katie smiled, biting her lip and knocking her fist against Chris’ chest lightly.

“And _then_ I can fahk you wherever, whenever…”

Katie’s head tipped back as she laughed heartily, the sound filling him with warmth and eliminating the lingering doubts and insecurities he had in regards to Julian and Katie.

“That hasn’t exactly stopped you before, Babe…” Katie cracked up and Chris only nodded, smiling with a chuckle.

“ _True_ , but I don’t hear you complaining…” He grinned, touching his forehead to hers, enjoying the feeling of laughing together.

“What can I say? It’s **_QUALITY_** dick…”

“ _I **fahking** love you…_ ”

“I know, Leia…” Katie laughed, pecking a kiss to his lips. “Alright, I gotta start cooking, love…”

* * *

It didn’t take long to get the groceries put away and start prepping dinner, which meant bare minimum effort thanks to how easy this meal would be. Chris had stayed close, leaning back against the sink behind me, talking with me as I chopped an onion before dumping it and a spoonful of garlic into the largest skillet I owned.

“So…what are you making again?” Chris asked, eyeing the skillet from where he leaned to the right to look around me at the onions and garlic finishing up.

“Joe’s Special.” I repeated, lifting the pan to dump the sauteed aromatics into the bowl on the counter. Setting the skillet back on the burner, I got the ground turkey package opened and dumped into the reheating pan, sprinkling salt and pepper over the meat before breaking it up as it started cooking.

“And just **_WHAT_** is ‘Joe’s Special’?”

I turned, glancing over my shoulder, one brow raised high.

“You never heard of ‘Joe’s Special’?” I asked; Chris only shook his head, mouth pressed tight. “‘San Francisco Joe’s Special’?”

“ _Nooooope_ …are you gonna tell me what that means in regards to what I’m about to eat?”

I shifted the wooden spatula into my left hand to stir the meat and keep it from burning as I turned to face my fiancee, explaining, “It’s nothing too involved, just cooked up ground beef, well, in this case, turkey…and chopped spinach, with sauteed onion and garlic.”

“ _That’s it?_ ”

Nodding, I answered, “Yeah.”

“Why are you feeding me rabbit food, I’m on vacation, babe!”

“It’s **NOT** rabbit food!” I laughed. “I grew up eating this just like it is! You can add it to an omelette…that’s REALLY good, actually! Or turn it into a casserole with hash browns…fills you up, and it’s good for you if you use turkey like I am…all that protein and nutrients!”

“But it’s… _SPINACH_.” Chris spat, face contorting in disgust.

“ _Listen here_ , Popeye…” I laughed, poking him in the chest, “You are a thirty-something year old man, you should not have an aversion to spinach…it’s good for you, helps keeps those muscles in tip top shape, and you’ll be eating this often once we get married, so suck it up and try it…”

“ _So bossy_ …” He muttered, pushing off the counter to crowd close, wrapping around my body and resting his chin on my shoulder. “I was joking…”

“Just drown it in ketchup, it’s good like that.” I said over my shoulder as I turned back to check the meat.

“Seriously? You just canceled out all the healthy shit just by saying that.” Chris laughed.

“Don’t knock it till you try it.” I told him as I reached for the colander to pour off the remaining grease before dumping the aromatics and the meat back in the pan and adding the bags of partially thawed spinach, covering the pan to let it do it’s thing. “You’d be surprised at how easy it is to get kids to get their spinach with this recipe…all the ketchup involved has absolutely _**nothing**_ to do with it…” I laughed, having turned around to face him once again and wrap my arms around his waist.

“ _Kids and ketchup_ …that’s crazy talk, I have no idea what you’re talking about…”

* * *

They ate at the small kitchen table, cleaning up the little mess Katie hadn’t cleaned as she cooked before settling back on the couch to vegetate while putting a movie on. Chris had been expecting something along the lines of the other Christmas movies they had watched, not the visual and audio of orgy of ‘Moulin Rouge’, but he got comfortable nonetheless, singing along with the famous songs in the various mashups under his breath while checking messages and emails on his phone; Katie shifted, snuggling into his side where she spent the rest of the movie, with Chris’ arms around her once he set his phone down on the coffee table.

It was long after the movie had finished, and the clock in the dining nook stated it was almost 1 AM, but neither Chris or Katie made a move from their position, reclined on the couch, Katie draped around Chris as they cuddled while listening to the sound of a crackling log on the television and the soft volume of the ‘low key’ Christmas music; they relaxed, bonding in the quiet bubble of intimacy, hardly saying a word in the last few hours except the odd request to skip to the next song on the playlist.

Chris’ fingers moved in slow strokes, buried in Katie’s hair; he had found a massage to her scalp was an almost instant way to make her relax, and he had discovered it almost by accident early on in their whirlwind relationship, but now…that little show of affection had become a relaxing habit of his as well.

“ _Babe…_ ” He whispered, strong fingers rubbing over the base of her skull.

“ _Nnnnn…?_ ” Katie hummed sleepily from where her face was pressed against his neck.

“We should go to bed…it’s quarter to one.”

“ _Noooooo…_ ” She groaned, arm tightening around his chest.

Chris felt his cheek lift on the left side while he reached for her hand, twining his fingers with hers.

“Come on Kay, let’s go to bed…my ass fell asleep.”

“ _Nooo_ …if we go to bed, we have to set the alarm and then you have to leave…” Katie whined, clinging tighter to him.

“If we stay on the couch, I still have to set the alarm and I still have to head out tomorrow, Kay…” Chris said, sad that his quick trip was already over and even more upset that his fiancee was showing just how much their constant ‘hello-goodbye’ quick trips were affecting her, “Come on, let’s go to bed…at least we’ll be comfortable, and I can get feeling back into my feet…”

It took a few minutes, but he finally got Katie to migrate into the bedroom, where they resumed their positions once Chris had shed the sweats he had bummed around in.

Katie’s hand rested on his bare chest, petting slow, lazy strokes just under the ink near his collarbone, playing with the hair occasionally while her foot mirrored the movement against his ankle.

“ _I wish we could stop time and you didn’t have to leave, Chris…_ ” Katie said, speaking barely louder than a whisper. Her words hit him square in the chest, making his heart ache at the admission.

“ _Me too, Kay…_ ” He answered, turning his face to kiss her forehead tenderly. “I _hate_ having to leave, it seems like that’s _all_ we’re ever doing…” he added, whispering against her skin, “-saying hello, then saying goodbye after a few quick moments together…but this is the _last_ time we have to do this. Just two more weeks, then we’ll be starting a life together…just _you_ and _me_ , at the beginning of our crazy adventure.”

“This last two weeks is gonna kill me…” She admitted, voice cracking and Chris felt the trickle of tears running along the side of his neck. “I can see the finish line, _I really can_ …but I’m just _so_ overwhelmed with everything going on right now, Chris…”

 _“Hey…_ ” He called softly, turning from his position flat on his back to his right side to face Katie, pulling her into his body as tightly as he could; pressing another kiss to her forehead, then moving down the length of her nose to her lips, he managed one more soft kiss before continuing, saying as calmly as he could while his heart cracked at seeing her crying yet again, “ _It’s okay_ …it’s okay to feel overwhelmed, Kay. I’d be a little worried if you _didn’t_ feel just a little bit scared or overwhelmed right now…but don’t stress, _please_. We’re eloping to _avoid_ stress, remember?”

A loud sniff escaped her, and Chris lifted a hand from his chest to wipe her eyes.

“It’s _sooo_ much change _all at once_ , Chris…” Katie keened, her hand reaching up and grasping his wrist, stilling his hand on her face.

“ _I’m sorry_ … _I know it is_ …but it’s _good_ change, _right_?” He asked, stroking his thumb over her cheek. He could feel her nod her head in agreement, silently answering him in the dark. Pressing in the short distance left between them, he touched his lips to hers, wanting the reassurance as much as she did since her body pressed further into his.

“We both knew _this_ was going to be the _hardest_ part, getting through Christmas…you told me you wanted to go about this the right way, giving notice, tying up loose ends…no backing out now, Kay. And I _know_ you want to spend some time with your mom before we get married… _you can do this_ , I _know_ you can.” Chris said, trying to bolster her up as well as himself, feeling exactly how she had about this last stretch of the race to getting married. “You’re the _strongest_ person I know…”

“ _Are you scared?_ ” She asked quietly, nose pressed against his. “About the future?”

“ _A little…_ ” He admitted truthfully, but felt the need to explain, adding, “It’s new, the unknown…I’ve never been somebody’s husband or father…I’m afraid of fahking up, _sure_ , but I’ve never been _so sure_ of something as I am about doing this with you, Babe…I’ve somehow managed to find the most _amazing_ girl that is _funny_ … _sexy_ … _sweet_ … _is absolutely crazy about me and manages to take my breath away with how much she loves me_ … _is my best friend_ … _my partner in crime…_ ”

Another loud sniff rang out in the darkness of her room, and Chris felt her body move with silent sobs as she began crying again, but she surprised him when she soggily added, “ _Ride or die_ …Bonnie and Clyde.”

[Originally posted by twinningscholar](https://tmblr.co/ZBS9ag2FDQHPX)

He couldn’t stop the chuckle that escaped him, holding her tightly.

“Maybe not ‘ _Bonnie and Clyde_ ’…I’d rather not go out in a rain of bullets, Kay.”

The feeling of her shaking in his arms with soft snickers had his heart lightening.

“How about Thelma and Louise? _Is that better?_ ” Katie asked, the slight sound of a smile in her voice telling him she was coming back from the moment of fear and he hated to even think it, ‘cold feet’.

“ _Not really._ ” He laughed, “Driving off a cliff or riddled with bullets? I don’t really like _either_ of those options, Babe!”

“I’d hold your hand the entire time…I’d _even_ kill a young Brad Pitt for you…”

[Originally posted by thefilmfatale](https://tmblr.co/ZcR2vx15n1JRs)

“ _Good to know…_ ” Chris laughed, leaning in to kiss her once more, holding the back of her head. “ _You know_ , we don’t have to drive a cliff for you to hold my hand…or hold me, period.”

“Ditto, Mister.” She whispered, pecking his lips softly as her hand skimmed his back down to his bare ass and back up his side to touch the soft gauze taped to his rib cage. “ _Thank you…_ ”

“For what, babe?” Chris asked, rubbing the tip of his nose with hers, feeling her lips brush his with each tiny pass. Her thumb skated over the gauze in a feather light touch.

“For being _you_ …” She told him, adding, “For _everything_ you’ve done in these last few months…for being the _amazing_ man I’m going to be spending the rest of my life with…for being _my rock_ this last month…for how you _reacted_ after I told you I was pregnant and lost it… _for taking care of me_ …”

“ _I love you_ , Katie. No ‘thank you’ needed, Babe… _you_ take care of _me_ , _I_ take care of _you_.” Chris said, slipping his hand from where it cradled her head, down her back before pushing under the waistband of the leggings she wore, resting on her ass cheek. He licked his lips, taking a beat to breath deeply before whispering against her lips, “We’re not getting _any sleep_ before I have to leave, are we?”

 _“I_ certainly wasn’t planning on it…” Katie admitted, pulling her arm from his waist to hook her thumb in the leggings, pushing them over one hip to make it clear she was okay with spending the last few hours of his surprise trip making love. Chris reached further around, helping her work the cotton off without breaking contact between their bodies.

“ _Eh…_ ” He grinned, sighing as he leaned into her, whispering against her mouth, “I can sleep on the plane.”

“You’re gonna be _so grumpy_ …” Katie smiled, arms wrapping around the back of Chris’ neck as he crowded her, rolling them both over pin her back against the mattress. “I’m gonna have to call your Mom and apologize for sending you to Disney on no sleep…”

“No…don’t to that, then she’ll _know_ we were up all night fahking…” He chortled,  “Besides, _who_ needs sleep when there’s a warm, willing fiancee to make love to?” Chris posed before claiming her mouth in a heated kiss. It was a long moment of passion, making out like the night they had met just a few short months earlier before he broke the lip lock, leaning to the nightstand for a condom. His fingers fumbled along the surface in the dark, remembering a foil or two left there from the night prior, but not finding them, he growled in frustration, _“I can’t **fahking** wait to be **done** with these_ … _where_ the **_fahk_** did those little **mothfahkers** go…”

The feeling of Katie’s hand on hip broke his concentration of feeling for the cool foil, but giving up on the ones he had been sure were somewhere on the table top, he pulled the drawer open, knowing there was an open box of rubbers stashed in there with Katie’s most used toys and a half full bottle of lube.

“ _Chris…_ ” She called, but he was so focused that he didn’t catch it until her hand gripped his ass possessively and she called his name again just as he pulled what remained of the string of foils from the box, “ ** _Chris…_** ”

“ _What?_ ” He asked, resting his weight on one elbow to pull a condom free before setting the rest on the nightstand. He lifted the foil to his mouth, tearing the packet to get the latex free before getting ready to suit up.

“I was going to tell you to not worry about it…”

He froze, condom pinched between his fingers as he blinked back towards her in the dark.

“I know I said I wanted to wait until after New Year’s…but… _if you want to_ …I’m _okay_ with you _not_ wearing one…”

“But… _you haven’t_ … _are you **sure**_ , Kay?” He inquired, hesitantly, not quite sure how to proceed.

“I told you, I’m due to start any day…I have an appointment on Tuesday to see my doctor.” She reminded him, hands caressing wide swaths along his ass and lower back. “You don’t have to, _if you don’t want to_ …I just…if you _want_ to wait until after…I’m _okay_ with that. I just know you’re ready to be done with contraception, Babe.”

“I can wear the damn rubbers one more night, I don’t want to rush you, or put you in another less than desirable situation especially with what just happened to us…besides, I already got the stupid fahker open…” He admitted with a sigh. “Go see your doctor, make sure everything’s good, then after you finish…we can burn these little fahkers and celebrate with a night of drunken debauchery and hope I knock you up. _How’s that sound?_ ”

“Like I’m gonna hate you for the hangover you’re gonna give me the next morning…” Katie laughed.

 _“Eh_ , we’ll be miserable together.” Chris smiled, rolling the condom on and settling back into position. “ _Ride or die_ , right?”

Katie cracked up, wrapping her legs around his waist while pulling his face to hers.

“I can’t believe I got you to say ‘ _ride or die_ ’…”

“You get me to say a lot of things believe it or not…” He chuckled mid kiss. Grabbing her ass, he squeezed it, telling her, “Now shut up, Babe, I have to finesse my ‘baby making’ skills…”

“I don’t think you need much practice…you’ve done it once already without even trying…” She cooed, making Chris smile wide in the dark.

“Practice makes perfect, Kay…” He said, biting her lip before adding, “ _Now shush_ …I gotta concentrate…”

* * *

Laying in their familiar arrangement, dozing post coitus, the alarm went off, telling both Chris and Katie it was time to get up and moving if he was to make his flight out to Orlando on time. A heavy sigh of sadness rang out as Katie stretched to turn the obnoxious sound off, rolling off Chris and climbing out of bed with a resigned coldness settling around her. She clicked on the table lamp, lighting up the room; he rubbed his eyes, watching as she stooped to retrieve her leggings from the floor, leaning against the bed to pull them on in attempt to keep the chill of the apartment at bay while waking up.

Neither said anything, unusual for them as they always told each other some form of ‘good morning’ upon waking up, but even bleary eyed, Chris could see how sad Katie was, her body language stooped and curling in on herself as she rounded the end of the bed, heading for the door; he saw her mouth pinch and her chin quiver as she strode out into the hallway, never acknowledging him, only staring ahead.

His heart broke, seeing just how hard this final departure was affecting her and how hard she fought to hide it from him.

 _‘It’s not forever, Baby…_ ’ He thought, scrubbing his right hand over his face in preparation of climbing out of bed. _‘Eight more days, then this torture is over…eight more days, and you’re back in my arms…’_

* * *

I stood at the small counter to the left of my stove, hands braced on the lip of the counter, head bowed, crying silently.

The alarm sounded, and the gravity of the best birthday I’d ever had coming to a close came crashing down on me, telling me the clock had struck midnight and Chris had to disappear once again, and I couldn’t hold back, feeling the tears begin to well in my eyes; we hadn’t slept at all, the last day and a half spent clinging to every moment available being spent together, except for the ‘fight’ that stemmed from pent up stress and anxiety on both our parts…we both seemed to know through unspoken words this last leg of the race was beginning to take it’s toll, and the need for a heart to heart along with physically reassuring each other had been needed to give us both the strength to manage this next eleven days until he could return for our wedding. But the moment the alarm went off, and the realization hit, I lost the little bit of resolve I had managed to make believe I had, and bolted, not even saying a word or looking at the man I loved, rumpled and tired with his sleepy eyes and wicked case of bedhead. I had been strong enough to make it out of the room without crying, but I hadn’t been strong enough to hide the evidence it was coming from advertising on my face in the soft light from the bedside table.

The coffeepot was working to brew as I bit my lips, sniffling through tears when I heard Chris’ feet padding into the kitchen; I turned my face away, towards the wall, hiding it from the night light under the microwave, but _I_ knew _he_ knew I was crying, and so when his arms wrapped around my waist from behind and his face pressed into mine, I sobbed.

He stood there, holding me and sniffling through his own tears while I pulled myself together.

Taking a deep breath, I swallowed the lump in my throat, telling him, “We better get going, we’re gonna have to leave soon…anything you haven’t packed, I’ll take care of, Chris…you’ll be back soon…” Steeling my emotions, I patted his forearm where it wrapped around my waist, adding, “Come on, Big Guy, we gotta get you to the airport…your Mom won’t be happy if you’re late getting to Orlando…you’ve already missed a portion of your annual trip to be with me, she won’t forgive me for being selfish and keeping you any longer…”

“ _Kay…_ ”

“Come on…go get in the shower, I’ll get the coffee ready…” I said, trying my best to put a smile on, figuring ‘fake it till you make it’ but Chris knew it was an act and began to speak, but I cut him off, telling him, “You’ve got fifteen minutes before we have to leave…”

“I’d _rather_ spend that fifteen minutes…”

“I know how you’d rather spend that fifteen minutes, but we don’t have time…go take a shower, I have to get you to the airport or you’re gonna be late…”

Chris inhaled deeply, letting it out on a sigh before kissing my temple and backing away, but not before whispering, “ _I love you, Tinkerbell…_ ”

* * *

I watched him walk back towards the bedroom, shoulders bowed as he went to gather up clothes before hopping in the shower, the ‘beeping’ of the coffee machine telling me it finished brewing breaking me from my somber staring. I quickly poured two travel mugs, setting them on the high counter top next to my car keys and purse just as the shower started up; quickly scribbling out a note, I grabbed the paper and headed back to the bedroom as well, finishing up the packing of his trusty backpack by piling a stack of his clothes I knew needed to be washed and stowing the other items that hadn’t been secured yet. 

Chris walked out of the bathroom amid a cloud of steam shortly after, wiping his towel over his head to speed up drying his wet hair so he could put his cap on before leaving the apartment in a few minutes.

I pulled on one of his flannels, adding a jacket over the top before stuffing my feet into short Ugg boots; holding the backpack out to him, I signaled it was time to get going.

* * *

Walking into the main doors of McCarren International, Chris felt each step become more and more difficult to complete; he felt terrible, his insides aching and in knots after walking out to find Katie crying over the coffee machine earlier, catching her in a rare moment of letting her guard down emotionally, seeing just how much this parting was tearing her apart, so when she deviated from their normal routine of pulling up to the curb for drop off and goodbyes only to park in the short term lot, he didn’t say anything, knowing she needed every last moment to help bring her through this next stretch of his absence, but the closer they got to that final moment, the heavier his heart got.

In this moment, he didn’t care if he was recognized walking hand in hand with Katie, she was more important than anonymity and sneaking out of Vegas unnoticed, so they approached the check-in desk, walking up and starting the process. 

Chris pulled his hand free of hers long enough to get his ticket and identification out, pushing it over the counter to the older man and immediately pulling Katie into his body; she buried her face into the side of his neck, her arms squeezing his waist tightly, almost uncomfortably while he rubbed one hand over her back and reassured her with his other hand zeroing in on the back of her skull, burying his fingers in her hair, holding her as closely as possible while the man behind the counter made his required small talk before pushing the paperwork back to Chris and signalling he was good to go.

“All set, sir…Ma’am? _Your ticket and I.D.?_ ”

“She’s not flying… _just me._ ” Chris spoke, taking his driver’s license and ticket from the counter.

“ _I’m sorry_ , but she’s not allowed…”

“ _I know…_ ” Chris growled, “Let us say goodbye, man…it’s been kind of a rough morning…”

The man looked at him, glancing at Katie clinging tight to his body before checking the lobby, speaking low, he said, “Security can’t _legally_ say she’s trespassing until you reach the security check point…it’s upstairs, but _you didn’t hear that from me…_ ”

“Thanks man…we’ll say goodbye before that.” Chris said, offering the older man a half assed, sad smile while giving Katie a squeeze to tell her they needed to move on before steering them both towards the escalator that led to the security points and terminals.

“ _Come here…_ ” Chris told her, pulling Katie off to the side from the escalator; her body language projected just how miserable she was, added to the downcast and sad eyes, he knew this was going to hurt more than any other time they parted before. Reaching for both her hands, Chris drew Katie closer to the wall, shielding them from the open room with his back turned to offer them privacy.

Holding her hands in his between their bodies, Chris saw the twitch in her chin, and could see the way her strength of will at keeping it together in public began crumbling, and soon her eyes were full of tears yet again, and full of so much pain.

“ _Babe…_ ” He choked, pulling his hands free to grasp her shoulders, pulling her back into his embrace as the first tears fell and she gasped for air, “ _Come here…don’t cry…_ ”

“ _Don’t go…_ ” He heard faintly from the crook of his neck while her hands held fistfuls of the back of his sweatshirt. _“Please…_ ” she begged, making his heart crack.

Holding her in place, Chris fought breaking down, one hand cradling the back of her head while the other rested on the spot her new tattoo resided, touching in light strokes through the material keeping her warm.

“I _have_ to…” He whispered, voice cracking. “Baby, you’re ** _killing me_** right now…”

“Two weeks is too long…” She cried; Chris hummed his agreement and she added, “This really **_is_** love, _isn’t it_?”

“ _Yeah…_ ”

“It **_hurts_** , Chris…I don’t _want_ to _love you_ so much it **_hurts_** …but _I do_ …why’d you have to go make me fall in love with you, you great big moose? You’re an asshole, _I hate you…_ ”

A soggy smile broke out across his face, accompanied by a watery chuckle that had him lifting the hand from her waist to wipe his eyes.

“ _I love you too, Tinkerbell…_ ” He answered, taking a steadying breath before going on to say, “I _vaguely_ remember another trip to the airport not so long ago where _you_ told _me you_ didn’t _want_ to leave but you _had_ to…because you had responsibilities…and _you_ broke _my_ heart by walking away…I don’t **want** to go, but I **have** to…this time it’s _me_ that has loose ends to tie up.” He took another breath, blowing it out in a huge puff as he wiped tears from Katie’s cheeks; his expression crushed as he watched her let her emotions out, something that he would was beyond rare. “But _I swear,_ this is the **_LAST_** time we’re doing this…when I come back, it’s _you_ and _me_ , **_forever_**. _Okay?_ ”

The lower half of her face pinched, and she nodded, but the absolute heartbreak was still there in her face while willing back any more tears from escaping, and Chris heard words leaving his lips before realizing what they were.

“ _Never knew…I could feel like this…like I’ve never seen the sky before…_ ” He whispered and the tiny but noticeable lift in Katie had him leaning his head forward, touching his nose and forehead to Katie’s. “ _Want to vanish…inside your kiss…everyday I love you more and more…listen to my heart…can’t you hear it sing?_ ”

Tilting his face, he caught her lips in a tender and reassuring kiss before breaking apart, swiping his thumb under her eye, collecting fresh tears before they could roll down her cheek.

“ _Seasons may change…winter to spring…_ ”

“ _But **I love you** …until the **end** of time…_ ” Katie whispered, finishing the lyrics as she brought her own hands up to touch his face.

“You thought I wasn’t paying attention last night…” Chris pointed out, cracking a tiny smile. “I’m **_always_** paying attention when it comes to you, Babe…”

“ _I hate you…_ ” She said in a weak voice, softly hitting her fist against his chest.

“And **_I love you_** … _until my dying day_.” He reminded her, pulling her face to his for another kiss. “I gotta go, Princess…not _willingly_ , but I **_have_** to.”

“ _I love you…_ ”

“ _I know…_ ” Chris whispered, closing in for another kiss, putting everything he could muster, all the heartbreak, all the longing, into that kiss to tell Katie he felt the same for her. Pulling back a hairsbreadth, he added, “I’ll be back before you know it, _I promise_ …get your shit together, take your vitamins…”

“Started yesterday…” Katie confessed, sniffling to clear her nose while stroking a thumb along his hairy jaw. Chris felt a grin lift one side of his face, touching his forehead to hers.

“ _Good._ ” He said before puckering up and pressing his lips into hers; breaking the kiss a moment later, he sighed with the weight of the world at leaving her, “I’ll see you soon, Kay…Love you, Baby.”

“I love you too, Boomer. _See you soon_.” Katie answered, Chris could tell she was trying to buck up, and hold it together, but he couldn’t miss the slight tremor in her voice, or the minuscule twitch of her chin before she went on, saying, “ _Be safe…please._ ”

Nodding his head in the tiniest way, Chris lifted his right hand, touching the end of his pointer finger to Katie’s lips.

“ _Of course_ , Boss.” He sniffed. Leaning in one last time, he whispered against Katie’s lips, “One more for the road?”

She nodded, wrapped her arms behind his neck as they put their all into the kiss.

Taking a deep breath, Chris willed himself to step back, initiating the hardest goodbye he’d ever had to live through to date. It took everything in him to take that first step, then the second, his hand holding Katie’s until their arms stretched between them, and finally the connection was lost as he stepped back and made himself turn to walk to the security line, telling himself to not look back at the woman he left standing at the top of the escalator until he passed the point of no return in line.

It took only a few minutes to reach the top of the line, fidgeting with the strap of his backpack slung over his shoulder; placing his bag in the bin waiting for him at the scanner, Chris pulled the items from his pockets, stashing them as well before stepping into the machine and out once he was cleared.

Standing at the end of conveyor, he looked back, finding Katie standing exactly where he left her, tears in her eyes with a fist pressed to her mouth, watching him; she wanted every last moment it seemed, and Chris felt his heart crack, seeing her so raw and emotional…the only other time he’d seen her like this was when she broke down, telling him the reason for her strange and erratic behavior after leaving Atlanta, and he knew she only ever let her guard down like this when she couldn’t tamp down the feelings any longer.

Feeling his chin pinch, and the frown spread across his face, Chris took his time getting his watch on, stuffing his wallet and other small items back into his pockets, inhaling sharply when he saw Katie’s left hand raise, waving her goodbye; he felt his head incline slightly to the side as a lump settled in his throat while swinging the pack up and over his shoulder, returning the gesture.

Katie bit her lips, tilting her head back to look up at the ceiling and Chris saw her suck in deep breaths through her nose; a hand lifted, wiping under first her right eye, then the left before lowering her face as she blew a heavy breath through her pursed lips. She was steeling her nerve once more, Chris could see it in her body language as her shoulders straightened and squared off before she sent a sad and unconvincing smile in his direction a second before turning and making herself walk back to the escalator that would take her to the main floor and eventually out to the parking structure, and Chris felt numb without her. 

His world seemed to dim around him, sounds muffling and only his pulse pounded in his ears at watching her walk away, trying to keep things together as best she could and only doing so by a thread in that moment…to say his heart broke was a gross understatement, but they both knew this was the best option for tying up the loose ends of their single lives to allow them to elope without setting off alarm among their families, friends or the general public. It didn’t mean that this parting didn’t hurt like hell, because it did, and Chris watched as Katie’s dark hair disappeared as she descended back to the ground floor before blowing his own deep sigh from his lungs in a violent gust and making for his gate.

* * *

I fought tears as I turned away, knowing I couldn’t take anymore as well as the fact that if I didn’t move first, I’d be left watching him walk down the hallway of the terminal towards his gate, and I just couldn’t handle that…so I sucked lungfuls of air in before expelling them in rushes as I made my way down and out of the airport, back to my car, feeling a sob catch in my throat. I made it to the car, unlocking the doors and sinking into the seat; collapsing onto the wheel once the door was shut, I couldn’t hold back any longer, and let the dam burst, a keening sob sounding around me as I burst into tears. My arms were folded and braced against the top of the wheel, giving my head something to rest on as I cried my heart out.

When I eventually made it home, an hour later, I was numb and felt a migraine rearing it’s ugly head thanks to all the crying I had done in the shelter of my car, so I dragged into the apartment and crawled back into bed; I toed off my boots as I pulled the pillow Chris had slept on to hug, closing my eyes and thanking my foresight to clear my schedule through the rest of the weekend, because I wasn’t going to be useful to anybody in this state…so I passed out, sleeping for the rest of the morning and into the afternoon.


End file.
